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CLEVELAND, Ohio — It wasn't hard to tell what team had something to play for Monday night at Progressive Field.

The White Sox had no choice but to win and still had to had to put their playoff fate in the hands of the Detroit Tigers, who were playing Kansas City at Kauffman Stadium. The Indians, eliminated last month and playing for their second manager, were simply trying to get through the final three games of the year.

Chicago, in first place in the AL Central from July 24 through Sept. 25 before tumbling into oblivion, beat the Indians, 11-0, behind 15 hits and the pitching of rookie left-hander Hector Santiago.

The victory did not help. They were eliminated when the Tigers beat the Royals, 6-3, to clinch the AL Central for Detroit for the second straight year.

"Chicago is playing for their lives, but Detroit is in control," said Sandy Alomar Jr., Indians acting manager. "The only control they have is what they're doing against us. Everyone is scoreboard watching. We tried to do our best to stay in the game, but they were too much for us tonight."

There were five TVs in Chicago's locker room after the game at Progressive Field. Three were turned to Monday's night's NFL game and two to the Tigers-Royals game.

"I just told everyone we can leave with our heads held high," said catcher A.J. Pierzynski, who went 2-for-4 and tied a career-high with his 77th RBI.

On Wednesday at U.S. Cellular Field, the Indians knocked Santiago (4-1, 3.33)
out of the game in the fourth inning on the way to 6-4 victory. Monday night, however, Santiago breezed through the Indians lineup.

He allowed one hit and struck out a career-hight 10 batters in seven innings. It's the most strikeouts by a White Sox rookie since Jason Bere struck out 12 Angels on Sept. 20, 1993.

"It seemed like I was down, 0-2, in every at-bat," said third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall.

Said Alomar: "Santiago was nasty. He kept the ball down. He used more breaking balls tonight than he did in Chicago. He had a great screwball, which not many lefties have."

Shin-Soo had the only hit against Santiago, a two-out single in the third. The Indians, shut out for the 11th time this year, had just one base runner through the next five innings until Thomas Neal was hit by a pitch with one out in the ninth.

Rookie right-hander Corey Kluber (2-5, 5.14) matched Santiago zero for zero until Chicago scored four runs with two out in the sixth.

Kluber, who beat the White Sox on Sept. 25, ran into trouble with one out in the sixth. It started with Dewayne Wise's bunt single to third. Kluber struck out Kevin Youkilis, but Wise stole second.

Adam Dunn followed with a single to make it 1-0. The hit ended an 0-for-18 skid by Dunn.

Kluber walked Paul Konerko and Alex Rios singled to score Dunn for a 2-0 lead. Joe Smith relieved with runners on first and second, but allowed RBI singles to Pierzynski and Dayan Viciedo before he was able to end the inning with Chicago lead, 4-0. They were just the ninth and 10th inherited runners Smith has allowed this season.

"I know Chicago was fighting for their lives for the playoffs, but I didn't factor that in at all," said Kluber. "They made some adjustments to how I pitched against them last week, but I wouldn't say they were desperate or anything like that."

Kluber allowed four runs on five hits in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out six and walked two in 5 2/3 innings.

"He's got good stuff," said Alomar. "His slider was nasty tonight. They were just able to get some pitches up in the zone and hit him a little bit. He was close to 100 pitches (96) and we had to take him out."

Chicago's season was ruined by a 12-game stretch from Sept. 19 through Sunday. They lost 10 of those games.

The White Sox made it 5-0 on Alexei Ramirez's single off Cody Allen in the eighth. They added six more runs in the ninth, highlighted Viciedo's first-career grand slam. Dunn and Konerko added RBI singles.

Scott Maine allowed the slam, the first by an Indians pitcher this season. It seemed fitting because Indians pitcher have given up just about everything else this year.

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